In frigid northeastern China, in the city of Harbin is hosting its 26th annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Massive buildings built of ice from the frozen surface of the nearby Songhua River, large scale snow sculptures, ice slides, festival food and drinks can be found in several parks in the city. At night, visitors who endure the bitter cold will see the lights switched on, illuminating the sculptures from both inside and outside. This year's festival opened yesterday, January 5th, and will remain open until some time in February. Collected here are several photos from just before the festival, and of the opening night. (31 photos total)

A tourist visits an ice sculpture for the 26th Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival at a park in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China on January 3, 2010, (REUTERS/Aly Song)

Couples participate in a group wedding ceremony in front of a snow sculpture of Beijing's Temple of Heaven in Harbin, China on January 6, 2010. The wedding was organized by the city government and 28 couples participated in the ceremony, which was attended by local officials. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

Visitors pose near giant sculptures made from ice and snow before the opening ceremony of the Harbin International Ice and Snow festival in Harbin in northeastern China on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) #

Ice sculptures stand illuminated from within at the annual Ice and Snow festival in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province on January 5, 2010. Fairy tale palaces, towering pagodas, and even an Egyptian Sphinx - all carved from ice - are among the sights at this year's festival. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) #